


Ignis Fatuus (2007)

by JennyB



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh!
Genre: Bad Friends, Comfort, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, First Kiss, M/M, Paranormal, Phobias, Secret Crush, Wish Fulfillment
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-02-27
Updated: 2007-02-27
Packaged: 2018-02-12 19:34:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 15,201
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2122101
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JennyB/pseuds/JennyB
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jounouchi accidentally uttered two little words when he didn't mean to, and now instead of glamour, glitz and happiness, he has to make the best of the situation he created.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> Tanabata: The star festival taking place on the 7th day of the 7th month.
> 
> Seimeihandan: a method of divination using the number of strokes in the kanji of a person's name to predict their future.
> 
> Teso: a method of fortune telling that involves palm reading.
> 
> Omikuji: slips of paper forecasting people's luck.
> 
> Omamori: amulets one can purchase to ward off bad luck.
> 
> 'Ignis Fatuus' is another name for a will-o'-the-wisp (which can grant wishes). It literally means 'Fools Fire', and can also mean a misleading idea or thing.

Jounouchi snorted in disgust and rolled his eyes for what felt like the tenth time in a matter of minutes. Hands jammed into the pockets of his shorts, he trailed along after Honda and Anzu, Yugi at his side. Back in January, they had agreed to take turns choosing what they would do on any given weekend – that way everyone would have a chance to pick something they really enjoyed. At the time, he'd assumed that it would work out great; they'd only have to do something shitty once every five weeks, when Anzu got her turn. Unfortunately, Honda and the petite brunette had started dating in March. Honda had bought her some ridiculously oversized teddy bear for White Day, and suddenly, Anzu was getting to choose for two out of five weeks since the fin-haired brunet always caved to her demands.

Looking around, he snorted again. They were smack in the middle of the Tanabata festival – popular among women and children – and perusing the psychics and fortune tellers, no less. Wishing he'd gone with Ryou when the white-haired teen had fucked off to talk to a group of people he knew from the archaeology club, he glared at the back of his friend's head and wondered when Honda had turned into such a girl. He saw the taller brunet turn to his girlfriend with a goofy smile on his face, and Jounouchi had to hold back his desire to feign vomiting when the hazel-eyed teen attempted to convey to her just how good of a time he was having. He glanced over at Yugi, a sheepish smile on his lips when he realized that his small friend had caught him and was now giving him a chastising look – despite the amusement in his violet eyes. "Ne, Anzu!" the blond called out. "We've been here an hour, and you've seen these creepy hags for seimeihandan and teso. We good to go yet?"

The blue-eyed girl turned to him, the warmth she had displayed for her boyfriend turning to blatant irritation as she looked at Jounouchi. " _No_!" she hissed. "I told you before, I want to try them all, and we have to go get omikuji and omamori before we leave! And that's _if_ I don't want to stay for the fireworks."

The blond huffed and turned a baleful gaze toward his friend, only to scowl when the fin-haired brunet simply shrugged and said, "It's Anzu's pick, Jou. Whatever she wants to do, we do." Giving his girlfriend a smile, Honda slipped his arm around her slender waist, and the two of them continued walking.

"No, it's _your_ pick, you overly-whipped pansy," Jou groused to himself as he kicked a wayward pop can. "You just let Her Royal Pain-in-the-Ass tell you what to choose. Honest to fuck, last time you wanted to go to a damned _doll expo_?" He stopped his ranting at hearing the delighted squeal from Anzu.

"Oh, Hiroto! _Amai_!" she cooed. "Look! Madame Zhang from China is here! She's one of the leading psychics in the world! Oh, we've simply _got_ to go see her!" She sighed heavily when she saw the line to the woman's tent, a look of utter disappointment on her face.

"Don't worry, Hime," Honda soothed. "I don't mind standing in line and waiting. As long as I'm waiting with you." Ignoring the other two males, he led her over to the end of the queue, teasingly nuzzling against her neck. 

Rolling his eyes, Jounouchi followed them, only to growl low in his throat when he heard Anzu's latest whimper. "Ohh!! Look, Hiroto! There's an ice-cream stand. _Please_?"

"Sure," Honda replied. "Jou, look man, will you wait here? I swear, we won't be long."

"Me? Why the fuck can't Yug' wait here?"

"Jou...come on!" Honda dropped his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "You know that people will just walk all over Yugi..."

Scowling, the blond crossed his arms in front of him, huffing his bangs out of his eyes. "Fucking perfect. Fine, go..." He turned to glower at the back of the head of the person in front of him, only to widen his eyes in surprise when the fin-haired brunet thrust the paper cranes, streamers and paper lanterns they'd been carrying into his hands. "The hell?"

"We can't eat and carry these. Thanks, Bud. I'll bring you back something, ok?"

"Bite me, Honda," Jounouchi muttered as the three took off across the field for the snack bar. After a moment, he debated handing the items to random children that passed by, opting to tell Anzu that they'd been taken from him while he'd been waiting, and that his options had been to either run after them to reclaim the items or to hold her spot in her precious line. But then, he knew that she'd make Honda make him replace them all, and he had far better things to spend his money on than a bunch of stupid crap for her. 

Feeling quite bitter about the whole situation, he watched them cross the field. "Oh, you lucky bastard!" the blond muttered under his breath when he saw some kids he knew from school come up to Yugi and start to drag him away to something. At first, the wild-haired teen had resisted – Jounouchi could see him shaking his head and pointing to where he was standing – but after some presumably reassuring words from Honda and a hearty slap on the back, the diminutive male had acquiesced and gone with them.

Forty-five minutes later, the blond noted with some irritation that the other two still were not back. He glanced over to the myriad picnic tables, and when he didn't see them sitting there any longer, he realized that they'd ditched him, leaving him to stand in line as some kind of glorified place holder while they went off and had fun. He snorted. Not that being with them would really be any more enjoyable than waiting in a line to see some old hag, but still, he was pissed that Honda would do something like that to him.

An hour and a half after he'd been left there, he found himself at the front of the line. While he craned his neck to try to spy his friends in the crowd of people, he kept letting others go ahead of him, maintaining his position, but not holding the queue up any. Finally, he had had enough and, with a disgusted look on his face, he threw all of Anzu's souvenirs into the trash can. "Fuck you both," he muttered as he moved to step out of line and head home, already prepared to tell Honda to get bent if he bitched about his tossing everything.

"So..." a raspy female voice drawled from inside the tent. "The timid pup finally has the courage to come see Madame Zhang, ne?"

"Cour-what?" Jounouchi asked in confusion, tensing slightly and jerking out of the grasp of the psychic's 'assistant' as she latched onto his elbow to lead him into the tent. "Hey, I'm not here for any of this crap!" The hair on the back of his neck prickled when he heard the gypsy's raucous laughter.

"Ahh…a non-believer. I do love a challenge," the woman chuckled. "Come…come let Madame Zhang see you. I promise I won't bite," she purred, drawing out the last word in such a way that it sent a shiver down Jounouchi's spine.

Amber eyes were wide, focused solely on the sound of the voice. Before he knew what was happening, his legs had propelled him forward, and he found himself standing in the small tent. He shuddered when the attendant closed the flap, casting the small area in darkness, and seemingly dropping the temperature by a few degrees. After a moment, he became accustomed to the lower light level, and he moved toward the small folding card table, sitting down on the chair opposite the seer. He coughed slightly, the heavy smell of the incense permeating his senses and making him feel nauseous.

"If you don't like the scent, I can provide another," she said, and the fragrance became one of crisp, fresh apples. Madame Zhang sat forward in her chair once he had settled, the light from the single white candle illuminating her features. He literally felt his flesh crawl when he looked at the other. She was certainly old – her wrinkled skin was thin and papery against her gaunt features, and seemingly stretched taut against the bones. Her lips were drawn and wide, the deep crimson lipstick she wore contrasting starkly with her deathly pale complexion, and highlighting the unnaturally sharp looking teeth as she curved her mouth up into a demented smile. Her hair was long and white, hanging down about her shoulders in straggly strands, the occasional wisp moving snake-like, seemingly of its own accord. But, it was her eyes that caught the blond's attention. At first, he thought that they possessed no iris or pupil until, upon closer inspection, he saw that they were both a pale, milky blue, severe cataracts obviously having caught up with her. Despite himself, he gaped at her with an expression of revulsion on his face, immensely thankful that the woman was blind and wouldn't see him staring.

Chuckling, the woman said, "Don't be embarrassed, Child. I know my appearance can be quite…shocking." She gave him a wink, and when Jounouchi blinked, she appeared as a young geisha, her hair thick and black, pulled back in the traditional style, her skin like that of a porcelain doll. When he blinked again, the illusion was shattered. "Tell me, shall I reveal to you what the cards have to say?"

The blond gave himself a small shake, his thoughts feeling gauzy as the beginnings of a headache licked at his temples. He glanced around the small space, noticing a 'crystal ball' on a side shelf, and a bunch of crystals and rocks sitting in a glass dish. "Uh…no offence, but shouldn't you be able to _see_ the cards to tell me what they say?"

"Ah, Young One, there is more than one way to see, just as there is more than one way to feel, or to touch," she drawled as she shuffled her deck and dealt out a three-by-three array.

"You know, I wasn't here for any psychic reading," he continued as he watched her lay down the cards. "I was just –"

"Holding a place, yes, I know. Yet, here you sit, ne?" Grinning she said, "Perhaps it's kismet that brought you to me…Hn…" Her hands hovered over the cards, her fingers trembling slightly as her brow furrowed in concentration.

"So, what's my future?" Jounouchi asked smartly, somewhat fascinated by the odd looking cards in front of him.

"It's not always about the future. Sometimes more can be gleaned from the present." She smiled darkly. "Or, from the person himself."

The blond snorted at that. "Let me save you the trouble, lady. Presently, my life is pretty shitty. Not only did my supposed 'friends' ditch me, but I'm sitting here like a twat listening to you tell me about my great and mysterious _present_."

" _Silence_!" she hissed, the eerie white of her eyes momentarily flickering to black. "The stubborn pup is quite reluctant to listen…" Absently, she ran a long fingernail along the array. "Mmm," she purred, " _Quite_ a curious tale." Turning her milky eyes to the other and tipping her head, she said, "There's an old Chinese proverb that says, _'May you live in interesting times'_. Well, my young friend, that doesn't even begin to cover what is in store for you." Her gaze seemed to linger on Jounouchi as she rested a hand lightly on the first one. "Ah...the Death card..."

On hearing that, Jounouchi visibly paled. "D-death?" he stammered. "I-I don't like the sound of that."

"Ah, Child, there is no need to fear Death. Like in the circle of life there exists death, this card isn't as sinister as its reputation. It is a card of humility – something will happen to bring you down, but in the end, you will rise even higher than you thought possible. A significant change looms on the horizon for you. One that is deeply personal." Falling silent as she moved her hand, she arched a brow. "The Seven of Pentacles. The patience card. Sometimes you need to understand that there is no more that you can do, and you must simply bide your time and wait for the efforts of your labours to come to fruition." A slow smirk curved her lips upward. "Something the Pup is not very skilled at, ne?" A sour look settled on Jounouchi's face, and she chuckled as she flicked her eyes down to the tabletop. 

"Hm...you _will_ be undertaking a great ordeal. You have three cards telling me so. The Chariot implies strife and an eventual hard-won victory. You will find yourself torn in many different directions, but you must have confidence in yourself to unite your emotions, wants and needs to give them a single purpose – one direction. The Five of Wands signifies inner doubts and fears leading to confusion and panic. You must not fear competition; rather, embrace it, and you will succeed. Finally, the Tower represents war between lies and truth. Something you believed unshakable will crumble before your eyes. It may bother you greatly to learn of it, or you may be able to handle the revelation. But regardless, you must learn to let go of this false concept and embrace the truth. Only then can something new and stronger be built on the old foundation. As for what the ordeal is, you will have to wait and see what the Fates decide to test you with, ne? And when they do, you will have to make a choice. The Two of Wands represents passion, and passion cannot work when your desires are split. You must choose which path to give your full energy and passion to. However, if you trust your instincts, you will make the right choice. Do you have any questions so far?"

Jounouchi did his best to not roll his eyes. "Nah, I got it. Big change coming, but I've got to wait for it. It's going to be a hard battle, and I'm going to doubt myself, but when I see the truth, I'll be ok, and then I'll have to make a choice. Right?"

"In essence," Madame Zhang replied. "Your mockery of my words aside, this will happen, Young One. And when it does, the only one you will have to blame for your struggles will be you."

"Say what?" the blond asked. "How the hell do you figure that?"

She pointed to the three remaining cards. "The Fool represents infinite possibilities. When he appears, anything can happen, but there is a caveat surrounding him. Be careful in what you say and do, lest you yourself wind up looking the fool. You also have the Magician. He represents the power of creation and willpower. His presence indicates that you will be given a mental solution to something you greatly desire. And finally, the Nine of Cups. This is sometimes called the 'wish' card, for what you have an appetite for, you will be given. But, as they say, _'Be careful what you wish for'_... With such ambitious cards on the table, disaster could befall you should you act impudently." She gathered up her deck and set it aside before pulling out an eight-inch black ebony cigarette holder and lighting it up. 

At hearing that, the blond smirked. "Sorry, Lady. I don't buy all this crap about wishes. I've made tons of wishes in my life, and I've yet to have one come true. I have to admit, this was a nice way to present it, and much better than that ' _Starlight, star bright_ ' shit, but I know it's not going to happen. See you." He moved to get up, only to cry out in tremendous agony when Madame Zhang snaked an arm out and grabbed his wrist. Not only was her touch inherently frigid, but he felt as though every emotion was currently running through his body at maximum intensity, flashes of his life spiralling before his eyes. Carefully, the seer released her hold on him, gently sliding her hand back, and Jounouchi noted that it felt like dried leaves rubbing against his skin. "What the fuck was that?" he exclaimed.

She took a long drag off her cigarette, the black ebony held elegantly between her fingers. Slowly, she exhaled the smoke, and for several long moments, she simply gazed at the blond. Finally, her mouth broke into a wide smile, and she said, "I was showing you what I see when I look at you. Now maybe you understand why I find you so curious and why you should heed my words." She took another drag, and then purred, "I'm so glad you came to see me, my dear. Do come back to see me again sometime, ne?" Laughing darkly, she leaned back into the shadows, her eyes seeming to glow in the candlelight.

Before he could say a word, Jounouchi felt a hand on his arm, and he glanced over to see Madame Zhang's assistant standing there, gently helping him to his feet and leading him back outside. Once in the sunlight again, he squinted against the brightness of the day, and he suddenly felt very hot now that he was back out in the warm July air. He glanced around and, not seeing any sign of any of his friends, he decided that he'd simply go home.

As he was cutting through the parking lot, he thought a lot about what the gypsy woman had said to him. A part of him wanted the things she had told him to be true. But the larger, and more rational part reminded him that wishes were bullshit, and that as much as he wanted it to be real, wishing wasn't going to get him anywhere. Still, he thought that it would be fun to have the power to see a single wish fulfilled, and as he contemplated what he'd wish for, countless ideas ran though his head. He'd always wondered what it would be like to be rich, or to be a genius, or to have the respect of his peers and teachers. A goofy smile settled on his face as he thought about his secret crush; the countless wishes and fantasies surrounding _that_ particular subject were far too numerous to count. He thought about the silky looking dark hair and the deep sapphire blue eyes, and was just wondering what it would be like to touch those full, kissable lips when the squeal of tires and the sound of a car horn jerked him from his reverie. Much to his chagrin, he realized that he had wandered blindly into the flow of traffic and had very nearly become a hood ornament on the dark charcoal Audi R8. An embarrassed groan escaped him a moment later when he realized just _whose_ car he was standing in front of, and as his gaze flicked to the windshield, he saw those very same eyes glowering at him, the mouth turned down into an irritated scowl. He grinned sheepishly, only to pale slightly when he saw that the brunet had turned off the car and was getting out.

"Have you lost what little was left of your mind?" Seto demanded as he leaned on the top of the door and the roof, glaring angrily at him. "What the hell is wrong with you, anyway? You look even stupider than usual."

"Me?" Jounouchi retorted. "You're the one who got within an inch of running me down, asshole!"

"Only because you stepped out onto the road when I was two feet away from you, you imbecile!" the brunet snapped back. "If you want to end your pathetic little life that badly, there are much simpler and far less expensive means of doing so!"

"Yeah, well..." The blond trailed off, unable to think of a suitable comeback for that. "What the hell are you doing here anyway, Kaiba?" He crossed his arms across his chest and stared at the other defiantly. "Here to wish for more money or a bigger chequebook or something?"

"Idiot. No," Seto replied with a sneer as he rolled his eyes. "I was dropping Mokuba off with one of his friends." He paused. "Why are you here and, more importantly, where's the rest of your entourage?" 

Jounouchi shrugged, a slight flush creeping across his cheeks as he remembered the way he'd been ditched by his friends. Not really wanting to share that information with the other, he said, "They're around. This isn't my scene, so I'm going home."

"I see." After a moment he asked, "Do you want a ride somewhere?"

"What?"

"A ride, Mutt. In the car. Do you want one?"

"Are you serious?" the blond asked in obvious disbelief.

"No, Jounouchi. I'm joking. I thought it would be inordinately funny to ask you and then laugh and drive off if you accepted. Don't be dense. Now, either get in the car, or get the hell out of my way. I've got better things to do with my time." Without another word, Seto slid back behind the wheel and started the engine, his eyes locked on the smaller teen's, waiting for him to make a decision.

The fair-haired male worried his lip in contemplation for a moment and, finally deciding that one shouldn't look gift horses in the mouth, he hurried over to the passenger side door and climbed in. After buckling up, he whistled lowly as he looked at the leather and brushed stainless steel interior. "Sweet ride," he murmured as he ran his fingertips along the immaculate dash, and then leaned back into the plush upholstery of the roadster.

"Thanks," the brunet murmured in response as he put the car in gear. "So, where do you want to go?"

"Oh, uh..." He pinked slightly at the prospect of having the other drop him off at home, and he knew that his arrival in such an expensive car would certainly get a few tongues wagging. Clenching his hand into a fist, he turned to look out the passenger side window. "The Game Shop is fine, Kaib'. I'll wait for Yug' there."

The brunet didn't reply, save for a small nod, as he got onto the expressway to head across town. After a moment, he flicked on the radio, his mouth curving down into a slight scowl for a second when he heard it was some J-pop station Mokuba had turned on earlier. But, he made no move to change it. Instead, he cast a surreptitious glance over to his passenger and, seeing that the blond was tapping his fingers on his knee in time to the music, he left it.

After about ten minutes, Jounouchi made a face when one of Anzu's favourite songs came on the radio. "Ne, Kaiba? You mind if I change the station?"

"I don't give a damn," the other replied. "But if you pick something that sucks, I'm pushing you out of the car."

Amber eyes snapped over to the brunet to see if he was kidding or not, but he couldn't tell anything from the impassive expression. Hesitantly, he changed the station, his gaze locked on Seto's face. Whenever he'd get a station, he'd first decide if it was something _he'd_ want to listen to, and then look uncertainly at the driver. He continued to fiddle with the dials for another five minutes or so, and then he thought to himself, ' _Damn it! I wish I knew a bit more about you. It would definitely make this car ride a lot less weird, that's for sure!_ ' The blond reached for the dial again, only to let out a startled yelp when he got a shock from the knob. When the brunet didn't react, Jounouchi murmured, "No, it's ok, I'm fine, really. Thanks for the concern."

"Just put it on 100.3," Kaiba replied finally. "I don't mind the music they play. It's actual professionally produced music. Some of the amateur shit they air on Mokuba's station is like nails on a chalkboard."

For several long seconds, Jounouchi merely gaped at the brunet like he had three heads, and then he slumped back in his seat with a disappointed groan. ' _Fuck_!' he groused to himself when he realized what he'd done, Madame Zhang's admonishment to be careful ringing mockingly in his ears. ' _What a fucking gyp!_ ' Gone was his chance to be rich, famous, smart or good-looking. ' _Still..._ ' He glanced over at the driver, noting the attractive profile. A small smile crept across his face, tamping down some of his disappointment. "Maybe it won't be so bad after all," he muttered aloud as if to convince himself, all the while letting Seto think that he was referring to the station.


	2. Chapter Two

After Seto had dropped him off at the game shop, Jounouchi had gone inside and had chatted idly with Sugoroku for a few moments. Once he'd been sure that the brunet was long gone, he'd excused himself, asking the old man to have Yugi phone him when he arrived home. The diminutive teen had called him later on that night, surprised to hear that the blond had just up and left, but quite sympathetic to the reason. On the other hand, he didn't hear from Honda or Anzu until Monday morning during homeroom. The two of them had essentially cornered him, and when the slightly shorter male had told her what he'd done with her souvenirs, the irate female had demanded that he reimburse her for the items he'd tossed away, claiming that they were `important' to her, and were going to be mementos in her scrapbook chronicling her and Honda's relationship. Without them, there would be a gap in the pages.

The blond had first looked to his best friend to defend him even a little, and when Honda had simply stated that Jounouchi's actions had been mean and uncalled for, the fair-haired teen had snapped. Berating the two of them for abandoning him, and then calling Honda a fucking liar when he had claimed that they'd come back fifteen minutes later to find the other long gone, he'd told the stocky brunet in no uncertain terms that the two of them would be smart to just forget the whole thing, and call it even. From the slight flush on Honda's cheeks, Jounouchi had known that he'd outed him in his lie, and he had taken no small amount of satisfaction in watching the stocky brunet try to explain to Anzu just why the blond _wouldn't_ be replacing the lost items.

That sentiment had quickly morphed into irritation. For the rest of the period, he'd received countless death glares from the girl and had heard her whine, "But, _why_?" more times than he'd cared to count. When the bell finally rang to start the first class of the morning, he was inordinately grateful that he'd opted to take visual arts that semester as an elective. Getting to his feet, he handed his sensei a note from the art teacher excusing him from classes for the day, as he was participating in a field trip to the Museum of Fine Arts. Flashing Honda a smug sneer and surreptitiously giving the finger to the both of them, he stepped out into the hall and breathed deeply, basking in the sound of relative silence. As he turned toward his locker to grab his things he'd need for the day, he was surprised to see Seto leaving, too. Deliberately slowing his pace so that the other would have no choice but to walk with him or pass him, Jounouchi remarked, "I never pegged you as the artsy type, Kaib'."

"Sorry to disappoint you, but I'm not as one-dimensional as you may have thought," the brunet replied snidely, not bothering to look at the other as the two of them walked together; or, more accurately, Seto strode purposefully and Jounouchi quasi-ran to keep up with him.

"Yeah?" the blond panted. "What section are you in? I just take the general painting, sculpture and drawing. Like everything else, I have no talent, but it's fun."

The brunet didn't answer him right away. He stopped at his locker, which was five down from the fair-haired male's, and dialled his combination. "I've seen your work. It's not the worst I've come across." 

For a moment, the other simply gaped at the taller teen in disbelief. "Was that supposed to be some sort of compliment? If so, it fucking sucked!"

Seto didn't comment further, and as he rummaged through his things, he said quietly, "I'm in Nishimira's advanced class." Before Jounouchi could ask him anything else, he shut his locker and headed out for the bus.

"Damn it!" the blond groused as he punched the locker next to him. Hard. He was beginning to get rather frustrated with this wish as a whole. He'd said he had wanted to know `a bit' more about the other, and he wondered if some god somewhere wasn't having a hell of a good laugh at just how absolutely literally he was gleaning his information. As he was jamming his foot into his running shoe – naturally, not having untied it first – he was suddenly struck by a thought. Would there come a time when he reached the quantity of information that constituted `a bit'? Growling, he slammed his locker door shut, earning a disapproving glare and a warning to be quiet from one of the roving hall monitors – some sophomore who thought he was the big man on campus. Dark amber eyes fell upon the other, and the fair-haired teen figured the kid probably had a major hard on at the idea of being able to tell a senior what to do. With a curt, "Fuck you," Jounouchi brushed past him and ran for the bus, groaning when he saw that the only seat left was beside Watanabe Kenren – and right behind the two art senseis, no less. 

Managing a weak smile, the blond sat down beside the other male. Watanabe reminded Jounouchi of some kind of bizarre cross between a toad and a bug, and he had the personality of something stuck to the bottom of his shoe. Stifling a snicker, he wondered if he and Haga would be best of friends were they to ever meet, or if the insect duellist would simply put him in a jar of ether, and then pin him to a pegboard somewhere. However, the outspoken teen's amusement was short lived, and he groaned when the greasy-haired brunet began talking to him about the movie he'd spent all weekend watching, frame by frame, to see if he could find the alleged subliminal messages hidden within it, trailing off into an exasperated huff when Watanabe asked the blond if he wanted to see his findings. Resting his hands on the back of the seat in front of him and dropping his head onto his forearms, he prayed that the twenty-minute ride would pass quickly and without any unexpected traffic delays. Only once did he chance a glance behind him to where Seto sat. The brunet had a scowl of his own on his face and was looking decidedly unimpressed as he tried to tune out the petite redhead who sat beside him and seemed rather intent on making conversation with him. Idly, he wondered why the stoic teen had opted to ride with them rather than find his own way. `Participating fully' was not something one normally expected from Kaiba Seto. As he pondered this, he happened to catch the other's eye and, noting the _extreme_ irritation, he dropped his gaze and returned to staring unseeingly at the back of the seat in front of him.

As it turned out, the ride wound up being not too bad – until they arrived at the museum. Then the female teacher, Ohime-sensei, stood up and, smiling benignly at them, she proceeded to hand each student a rather thick stack of paper. Arching a brow, Jounouchi thumbed through the pages, his stomach sinking when he saw that it was actually a homework assignment. Nishimira-sensei quickly explained that they were expected to tour the gallery at their leisure, but also make notes about the various works of art, noting artists, the year of completion, the medium, and any other relevant tidbits of information that was asked for. All of which was, of course, testable material for their final exams in a few weeks. With instructions to return to the bus by four o'clock, the students were set free.

Once inside, Jounouchi immediately headed for the farthest wing on the first floor of the five-storey structure, figuring correctly that the majority of his classmates would all be crowding around the first few galleries. Leisurely, he toured the minimalism wing, making copious amounts of notes as he studied every painting and sculpture, making sure he didn't miss anything by rushing. An hour later, he moved into the surrealism wing, quite interested in the odd, unusual works of artists such as Dali, Ernst and Magritte. Finally tearing himself away from the paintings, finding that he could easily spend several hours looking at the images and still not see _everything_ there was to see about them, he moved into the modernism gallery. 

When he did, he caught his breath in awe as he looked up at a rather immense sculpture that consisted of small niches, large, closely spaced pillars, and smooth, soft lines, all of which were covered with intricate engravings. In keeping with the theme of the piece, about a dozen tiny alcoves had been built in the gallery, each housing the collected works for the particular artists. The rooms were about six foot on each side, each wall holding one or two pieces, and the outer walls were adorned with the larger paintings and drawings that would not fit inside. Slowly, the blond toured each of the recesses in turn, pausing in his work when he saw Seto enter the gallery. 

A soft smile graced Jounouchi's face when the brunet deliberately moved around the large sculpture to study it intently, only to have his expression morph into a small frown when the taller teen gave a mere cursory glance to the Escher works in the first alcove before moving on. "Ne, Kaiba!" he called out before moving to join the other male. "You know there's a whole section in the assignment on Escher, don't you?"

Sapphire eyes widened slightly at the voice, and as he glanced over at the blond, he simply shrugged and said, "I have no interest in the artist. I'll find some information later to complete the assignment."

The blond's frown deepened at that. He'd _thought_ he'd read somewhere that the brunet had purchased an original work for his own, private collection, but it was possible that he'd erred on the name. "Oh…but I thought we had to hand this in at the end of the day, so where are you going to get the information from?" He glanced briefly over at the taller teen's paper, and he arched a brow. Nearly all of the information was filled in already. "Man, you work fast," he remarked, and then chuckled sheepishly.

Seto tried to sound blasé as he replied, "I have a seat on the Board of Directors for this museum. I've been here many times before."

"Hn…yeah, I guess that would make you a bit more familiar with where stuff is and everything, ne?"

"I guess." The brunet looked away from him, presumably at something on the far wall, and for a fraction of a second, he briefly rested his tongue on his upper teeth. "Well, later, Mutt."

The blond scowled and huffed at that. Upon seeing the inquisitive look from the other, he exclaimed in exasperation, "Why the hell can't you ever just have a civil conversation? We _were_ being all mature here, talking about art and crap, and then you have to be an asshole, like always, and start in on me."

Seto's expression turned to one of disbelief. "What the hell are you babbling about?" he demanded. "I don't think I said anything that untoward to you, and if I did, you need to learn to be a little less sensitive, don't you think? After all, I don't let the idiocy that spews forth from your mouth affect me. Quit acting like a child, for God's sake."

"Well, _excuse_ the fuck out of me for not being as _perfect_ as you!" Jounouchi snapped back. "Must be hellish nice to not have any faults at all. Christ, and here I thought we…" Pinking slightly, he fell suddenly silent. "Ah, forget it! You wouldn't understand anyway. Prick…" Feeling unusually slighted, the blond grabbed his satchel from off the floor and stormed away, making a beeline for the snack bar and hoping to drown his sorrows in something heavy, greasy and disgusting. 

Ten minutes later, as he was in the middle of devouring a bacon double cheeseburger with a side of onion rings, he finally admitted to himself just why he was so pissed off at Seto, and he felt his cheeks heat of their own accord. With the things he'd learned about the brunet, he was starting to see the other in a more human light. No longer was the tall, slender teen some sort of pre-programmed, emotionless – albeit gorgeous – automaton, but he had likes and dislikes, he had interests outside of his company, and he wasn't entirely immersed in science and technology. And, the more he began to see that there was something interesting and genuine and wonderful underneath that icy façade, the more frustrated he was feeling about his crush in general and his seeming inability to make any sort of progress. ` _Fuck,_ ' he thought to himself as he irritably flipped a page in his assignment and hastily scribbled a note down. ` _With how that asshole still talks to me, I'd have a better chance of having Anzu apologize to me for being a bitch than I would in having any sort of relationship…er, friendship with him._' With his last thought, his face went a flaming red and he stuffed the remainder of his sandwich in his mouth, deciding that he needed to do _something_ to purge such ideas from his mind. "Shit, I wish I'd never made that stupid wish," he grumbled aloud as he threw away his garbage, his eyes immediately going wide and a grimace crossing his face. "Just kidding!" he said suddenly with a sheepish chuckle, earning some strange looks from his fellow students as they saw him seemingly conversing with the garbage bin. Giving them a small, slightly embarrassed wave, he grabbed his satchel and slunk off out of the cafeteria, pausing to lean against a wall to decide where to head next.

Stifling a small yawn, he opted to check out the fifth floor atrium. From what he'd heard, it was one big, open room, completely surrounded on all sides by floor-to-ceiling windows, one wall completely made of stained glass. The pieces in the gallery consisted of artwork done in glass or crystal, the natural lighting highlighting the subtle hues and tones of the pigments. After a few minutes of wandering around, he finally located the elevator, and after pressing the call button, he hummed idly to himself while he waited. It wasn't long before the car arrived, and after he'd stepped into it, he happened to catch sight of Seto out of the corner of his eye. Slamming a hand between the doors to keep them from closing, he called out, "Hurry up. I'm not waiting all day. Not all of us have damned photographic memories to remember every detail about this stuff."

The brunet arched a brow when he saw the blond standing in the elevator, and with a small downward curve of his lips, he replied, "No thank you. I'll catch the next one."

Jounouchi growled lowly at that and, foregoing proper museum-going etiquette, he snarked back loudly, "For fuck's sake, Kaiba, just get in here. You're going up, I'm going up, the elevator's right here, so quit being a dick. Yeah, being around me is painful for you; I _get it_. Don't worry, I'll stay against the wall in this corner so that I don't get fleas, or dog hair, or whatever the fuck else your twisted mind can come up with on you. And I won't even say a word to you, either." He trailed off at that, an incredible sadness entering his overly expressive amber eyes. Sighing, he continued despondently, "Fuck, or don't…Like I give a rat's ass what you do." He released his hold on the door and, just before the metal panels slid shut, he saw a hand thrust in between them.

"Fifth floor," was all the brunet said as he stepped into the car, his expression grim as he stared impassively at the now-closed doors. 

The blond gave him a mockingly low bow in return, sweeping his arms out to the side in a grand gesture. "As you command, Your Majesty," he quipped. "For a humble peon like me lives for nothing but to serve your every whim."

Seto's lips curved fully down into a scowl at the sarcasm. "Please," he added with a sneer, the word obviously an afterthought.

"There. That wasn't so hard now, was it?" Jounouchi reached out a finger and pressed the button.

"Shut up." The taller male folded his arms across his chest, looking very much as though he wished he could be anywhere else but there at that moment.

The fair-haired teen sighed dejectedly at having been so thoroughly shot down yet again. "This blows," he muttered to himself as he leaned heavily against the far corner of the car. Suddenly, the elevator lurched slightly, and then jerked as though someone had grabbed the cables and given them a shake. There was a loud grinding noise, along with a high-pitched squeal of metal on metal as the overhead lights flickered ominously for about ten seconds, and then the single low-wattage emergency light came on. A few moments later, everything went deathly silent, and it was painfully apparent that they weren't moving at all. "Aw, fuck!" the blond groused as he moved to the panel and tried pushing all of the buttons. As expected, there was no response at all.

Suddenly, the brunet rounded on the other male and, with his eyes narrowed and his jaw clenched, he hissed, "What did you just do?"

"Me?" Jounouchi exclaimed. "I didn't do anything! I was just standing there!"

"You leaned rather heavily into the corner! Maybe you made the elevator shift off its track or something!"

The blond stared at him as though he had three heads. "Are you fucking for real? Yeah, I know I eat a lot, but I don't weigh _that_ much! Get bent, Kaiba! I didn't do anything!" Scowling, he pressed the emergency call button. "Maybe you can call someone on your cell, ne?" he suggested after a minute when he'd not received a reply.

"Oh, that's brilliant," Seto snapped. "First of all, the museum had cell phone jammers installed about six months ago so that patrons wouldn't be disturbed by people carrying on conversations in the galleries. Second of all, just who the hell do you suggest I call? I'm afraid I don't have Batman's number stored in memory."

Jounouchi's eyebrows arched up in surprise. "They have things like that?" he asked, letting the snotty remark slide for the time being. "And, I don't know; maybe call the front desk and tell _them_ that we're stuck here." He paused. "Yeah, not that it'll do us much good, really, since like you said, it wouldn't work anyway…"

"Hn." The brunet clenched his jaw, falling silent.

An uncomfortable silence fell between them, and Jounouchi humoured himself for a few moments by reading the poster on the wall chronicling the history of the museum and the various supporters and benefactors. He honestly wasn't all that surprised to see that KaibaCorp was one of the top-contributing members. After a couple of minutes, a tinny sounding male voice came over the small intercom. "Hey, is anyone in the elevator?"

Relief flooding over him, Jounouchi moved back to the panel and pressed the button. "Yeah, there're two of us in here."

"Ah…Yeah, we show on our monitors that the elevator's not working."

"No shit," the brunet mumbled tersely.

"Uh, yeah…we were heading from the main floor to the fifth floor when it started making noise and then stopped," the blond explained, talking over top of the other teen.

"Hm…hope it's not the motor," the voice replied. "We've got Tiny checking on it now…hang tight, ok? Shouldn't be more than a minute or two." Not thirty seconds later, the voice returned. "Yeah, uh…it seems that one of the cables snapped up there. Now, don't worry; they're redundant systems. One of these cables could support the whole thing, so there's no chance you're gonna plummet to your deaths." An uncomfortable chuckle followed. "Uh, yeah, anyway, when it let go, it wrapped itself around the other cables, and got sucked up into the pulley and the stress, well…heh heh, it uh, kind of bent the gear train. The whole system is FUBAR'ed pretty good. So uh, it looks like you'll be in there for a while. We're working on it, but my guess is you're going to be stuck for a good couple of hours at least. Sorry about that…"

When the intercom went silent, Jounouchi looked over at Seto and gave him a small smile. The other didn't even acknowledge his presence. He continued to stare straight ahead of him, not saying a word. Leaning back against the wall and sliding down to sit on the floor, the blond drew his knees up, resting his elbows upon them and cradling his head in his hands. Fucking perfect. A sad smile crossed his face. He could handle the brunet yelling at him or insulting him, but he _loathed_ the silent treatment. A soft snort escaped him. He felt that he almost would have been better off being stuck in there with Watanabe.


	3. Chapter Three

"Shit."

The word was barely audible, but it was loud enough to shatter the deafening silence that existed in the elevator car and cause Jounouchi to look up. He cocked his head to the side, his brow furrowing in puzzlement as his gaze fell upon the brunet. A faint sheen of sweat had broken out on the slightly taller male's brow, and his normally pale complexion had taken on a slightly grey-green hue. "Ne, Kaiba…are you ok?"

"I'm fine," Seto snapped, his eyes staring unseeingly straight ahead of him.

"Are you sure? You look –"

"I _said_ I'm fine!" With shaking fingers, the brunet began to awkwardly undo the buttons on his gakuran. "Damn it, did the environmental controls go out, too?" he groused irritably as he impatiently tore the garment from his body and threw the jacket to the floor, panting softly as he struggled to undo the top two buttons of his dress shirt, his frustration evident in his expression. After another moment of not being able to accomplish his task, the blue-eyed teen let out a noise that sounded like a combination of a laugh, a sob and a growl all in one. With a trembling hand, he wiped his brow, his breaths quick and shallow. "Damn it," Seto said again as he closed his eyes and swallowed thickly, trying once more to make his fingers comply with his brain's demands.

"Oh fuck!" Jounouchi murmured as he hurriedly got to his feet, his eyes wide as he watched the other. It had taken him a moment to realize what was happening, but he knew the signs of a panic attack when he saw one, having helped Ryou through one once before. Cautiously, he approached the brunet, reaching out to help him, only to yelp in surprise when his hands were swatted away quite forcefully.

"Don't touch me!" Seto snarled as he backed himself into the corner farthest from Jounouchi, his sweating palms pressed flat against the walls of the car, his body now wracked with noticeable tremors as his breathing sped up again.

"Damn it, Kaiba," the blond replied as he once again approached the other, his hands held up in front of him. "I just want to help you." Despite the death glare he received in return, when the taller teen didn't protest, he slowly reached out again and undid the buttons for the other before backing away a couple of paces. "There. That better?" he asked gently.

Blue eyes narrowed, and with the way he was practically hyperventilating, Seto looked like some sort of feral animal. "No," was all he managed, once again swallowing harshly before licking his lips. After a moment, he let out a frustrated growl, his hands clenching slightly. He paced across the width of the car a few times, and then seemed to have second thoughts about it, once again tucking himself into the corner before agitatedly running his hands through his hair. "Not only am I stuck in this God forsaken metal prison for who the hell knows how long," he muttered, "But I'm stuck in here with you. That's just perfect. I'm sure you just can't _wait_ to relay this to your friends." Accusing sapphire eyes turned to Jounouchi. "Anyone else would be too afraid of me to say a word, but you…" Seto snorted. "You've never been afraid of me, have you? You're either too smart or too stupid for your own good." For several long moments, he stared silently into the soulful amber, his lips slightly parted as he panted harshly.

The blond was admittedly confused by the final part of the brunet's statement, and more than a little hurt that Seto thought that little of him. "Hate to burst your bubble, Kaiba," Jounouchi replied, the tone tinged with bitterness and harsher than he had intended, "But I'm not as big of a piece of shit as you think I am. I'd never make fun of someone for being afraid of something – well, maybe Honda or Otogi if they were being a couple of pansies about stuff – but never for something serious." He glowered at the other for a moment, and then his expression softened slightly. "Everyone's afraid of something, Kaib'. It's part of being human." Suddenly, his eyes widened, and he clapped a hand to his cheek in mock-surprise. "Holy shit! Kaiba Seto is a _human being_! Stop the fucking presses!" Jounouchi smirked when the other shot him a death glare. As bad as he felt for the brunet and his current predicament, he was taking immense pleasure in the fact that the taller teen had no choice but to stand there and listen to him. There was nowhere for him to storm off to.

"Sarcasm doesn't become you," Seto said coolly, trying to look bored. Suddenly, there was a loud bang on the roof, and unable to maintain the stoic façade, the brunet's eyes went wide as saucers. Reaching out, he latched on to the front of Jounouchi's gakuran, trembling forcefully, his breathing and heart rate accelerating to the point where he looked to be on the verge of passing out.

The blond, too, gave a small jump at the sound, only to gasp in surprise when the other male suddenly grabbed him. He figured that this was how a lifeguard had to feel around a drowning victim, and he reflexively tried to get away. The problem was, the brunet wasn't anywhere near as tired as a swimmer, and despite his slender frame, he was strong as hell. Jounouchi had been pinned by Seto on countless occasions before, and had been able to do little save for struggle pathetically until he was released. But, with the added adrenaline shock, the blue-eyed male had him in an unrelenting iron grip. And from where he had grabbed him, the blond was having a difficult time breathing. "Kaiba! Kaib'! Fuck, you're choking me!" he managed to rasp as he tried to pry even one of the taller teen's hands off of him. He gave a startled squawk when Seto unexpectedly seized his hand instead, releasing his hold on Jounouchi's uniform.

It was with mixed feelings that the blond contemplated this latest development. On the one hand, he could breathe again, but he wasn't particularly enjoying the cold, clammy feel of Seto's skin, and the crushing grip on his fingers was quickly moving from 'painful' to 'unbearable'. "Kaiba? Kaib'? Come on, it's ok. You've got to calm down a bit. You're killing me here…" Forcing the terrified gaze to his own, he began to speak slowly and calmly. "Come on, just listen to my voice, and breathe slow and deep. One of those fuckers probably just dropped something, ne? We're ok. But, if you don't slow down, you're going to pass out in here. Is that what you want?" He smiled up at the other, and reaching into his pants pocket for a Kleenex, he gently wiped away the tears that were running down Seto's cheeks – tears he knew were solely a reaction to the stress. As far as he knew, Kaiba Seto didn't cry. "That's good!" he remarked after a moment when he felt some of the circulation returning to his hand. "See? So long as you're focused on something else, there's nothing to this at all!"

A few moments later, Seto had calmed down enough to where he could remember where he was and, seeing that he was holding Jounouchi's hand, he pinked slightly and shoved the smaller teen away from him.

"Nice fucking gratitude!" the blond groused as he managed to stop himself from crashing into the wall. "What the fuck did you do that for?"

"Don't talk to me like I'm some kind of invalid or imbecile," the brunet snapped back in return. "It's already pathetic enough that I'm like this; I don't need your pity."

Jounouchi's eyes went wide at that. "Are you for real? God, you're like some kind of split personality, you know that, ne? I wasn't pitying you, Kaiba. I was trying to give you some kind of outside voice to focus on. I heard that a calm, soothing voice can help. Jesus, you're a psycho."

"Your voice is hardly calm or soothing," Seto retorted. "It's like…some kind of nails grating along a chalkboard."

The blond blinked, and then he laughed. "Fuck you. Quit making fun of my accent. And for as bad as my voice is, according to you, oh resident authority on all that sounds good, it seemed to work, ne?" The smile fell when he saw the colour once again drain from the other's face. "Talk to me, Kaib'."

"I just feel a little nauseous right now. And light-headed."

"Shit, you're not going to puke are you?" Jounouchi asked, immediately regretting asking the question when the other pinned him with a withering gaze. "Come on…why don't you park it for a bit?"

"I'm fine."

"God, here we go again," the blond replied as he sat down cross-legged and leaned against the one wall, rolling his eyes impatiently. "We both know you're not fine. Hell, Kaib', I think 'fine' left town a long time ago. Now, I know you're all prim and proper and too good to sit on the fucking ground like some commoner, but do it." When the brunet remained obstinate Jounouchi huffed in exasperation. Reaching up, he grasped the other's wrist and yanked, smirking when he managed to pull Seto down. "Guess those legs aren't holding you up too well if I can get you down that easy." He saw the flash of embarrassment behind the sapphire and, after mentally smacking himself for being stupid, he said quietly, "I told you, Kaib', it's no big deal. Only a fool fears nothing, and you're not a fool, are you?"

For a long while, Seto didn't say anything. He just sat there with his knees drawn up to his chest and his arms wrapped around them. Finally, he shifted his gaze to look sidelong at Jounouchi. "So, what do you fear then, _Sensei_?"

"Me? Ehh…" The blond flushed and grinned sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his head. "You don't really want to know that, Kaib'."

The taller teen snorted humourlessly at that. "Hn…no big deal, ne? Right, because it's perfectly _normal_ to know I'm being this irrational, to blame you for our situation when I know full well nothing you did caused this, to barely have the wherewithal to string together a lucid sentence, to be so afraid that…that I can't even move. But, it's no big deal. Everyone acts this useless in similar situations." He looked away from the blond, pillowing his head on his forearms. "I didn't really care anyway," he remarked resentfully.

"The dark," Jounouchi blurted. His face turned crimson when the sapphire eyes looked over at him, but he stubbornly held the other's gaze. "I'm deathly afraid of the dark, Kaiba. To the point where I either have a night light on, or I make sure the curtains are open and the streetlight comes in. It's not so bad if someone else is over, but it's embarrassing. That's why I kicked the shit out of Junrei when he locked me in the janitor's closet last semester." He dropped his gaze under the guise of picking at a thread on his running shoe. "I didn't used to be, you know. I suppose it's my own stupid fault, too." Jounouchi looked back up at the brunet. "See, when I was younger and was even more of a little shithead than I am now, I ran around with the Rintama kids."

"I knew that."

The blond smirked. "That doesn't surprise me. You always seem to know about everything that's going on. Anyway, one day I did something to piss Hirutani off – hell if I can even remember what it was; I probably ate his gyoza or something – and as punishment, they threw me in a small utility closet for the night. I didn't think it was any big deal until I got restless and started moving around, and when I did, I realized they'd stuck me in there with a dead body. The fucking corpse of some rival gang member they'd beat the shit out of earlier in the day. That's fucking twisted!" He scowled suddenly. "Since then, if I can't see what I'm walking into, I get all sweaty and feel like I want to puke. And I hate feeling like that, but I know that I can beat what he did to me. It'll just take time." Jounouchi shifted his position so that he was turned more toward the other, his knee resting against the brunet's thigh. "See, the way I look at it is this. Others might look at my fear as a weakness and cowardly, but I think I'm one of the bravest people out there. Real bravery comes from action; forcing yourself to do things even though you're afraid." A small smile curved across the blond's face. "Kind of like you did earlier when you chose to get on the elevator. So, you can see yourself as useless and pathetic if you want to; I'm not going to tell you how to feel. But, if you ask me, because you face what you fear and don't run from it like some kind of wuss, you're brave, too." Jounouchi shrugged. "Not that the opinion of one inu means shit, I know."

For a long time, Seto simply watched Jounouchi, a sense of respect settling in his eyes as he contemplated the other's words. He had seen countless therapists in his days, and none of them had ever summed up his phobia as uniquely or as succinctly. And, he was notably impressed by the other's insight. "I changed my mind," he said finally, and at seeing the inquisitive look from the blond, he elaborated. "If I had to be stuck here with someone, I'm glad it was you. It's…not as unpleasant as I'd initially thought. And, like you, I'm finding it's not so bad with someone else here to talk to." A small, but genuine smile settled on his features, and he looked as though he was going to add something else, but he was silenced by a sound from above. 

Jounouchi's heart gave a little jolt at those words, and he leaned forward expectantly, only to sigh in disappointment when the brunet went suddenly silent. He hoped that he'd effectively masked his frustration as he turned his gaze from Seto to the front of the elevator.

The two teens watched as the car doors were pried open. The majority of the opening was blocked by concrete and building materials for the floor, but through a twelve-inch gap at the top, they could see a middle-aged technician in sage green coveralls peering in at them. "Oh hey!" the man greeted cheerily. "I'm Goto Yuji. We've been speaking on the intercom. Just wanted to let you guys know we're working on the problem, and to see if you were ok."

" _Are_ you ok, Kaib'?" Jounouchi murmured quietly, so only the brunet could hear.

"We're holding our own," Seto replied tersely, beyond relieved to see light beyond the confines of the elevator. "How much longer do you think you're going to be? From the sounds of things in here, it seems like you have a bunch of incompetent primates on the job."

"Wha'? Oh, right!" Goto pushed himself up on to his hands and knees, and they felt the car shift slightly as the man put his weight upon it to reach for something. Seto kept a better hold over his emotions, but he still caught the blond's hand in a bruising grip and looked slightly nauseous. A moment later, the technician returned, showing them the torque wrench he held in his hand. "Yeah, Tiny dropped that a while ago…that's the other reason why I'm down here. I told him I'd grab it for him." He looked at it and shook his head. "Well, this thing's fucked. That's going to cost him."

"I didn't ask for a recap of the day's events, I asked how long!"

"Huh? Oh…" The technician thought about that for a moment, and then he glanced at his watch. "Well, Tiny's working as fast as he can, but the whole thing's a mess. They got the shaft out, and we're waiting for the new one to be couriered over…so maybe, another hour, if we don't hit any snags."

"Oh man…" Jounouchi's face fell at that news. "I can probably wait that long, but I'm gonna have to…you know…pee soon," he murmured to the brunet, pinking slightly when the other teen merely stared dumbstruck at him.

"I could get you a bottle or something?" Goto offered, pulling out his walkie-talkie to make a call.

Seto's gaze snapped back to the blond and he hissed, "Don't you even think about it. I'll kill you first." Ignoring the petulant expression on the other's face, he shifted his eyes once more to the older man. "We'll pass."

"Well, that's really the best I can do right now. Uh, unless you think you guys can squeeze through this opening?"

Seto glowered at the middle-aged man. "If you can barely fit your thick head through, what the hell makes you think we're going to fit our bodies through? Moron!"

For a moment, Goto's expression faltered. "Uh, well…" Shifting uncomfortably, the technician simply sat there in silence, stupidly watching the two teenagers while he tried to think of something to say. "Ok then…well, I'll update you when we've uh…got good news." He swallowed nervously at seeing the brunet's scowl deepen. "And uh, if you hear anything, it's just us working, so…" He didn't finish his statement, instead letting the doors slip closed.

Jounouchi could see the panic rise again in Seto's eyes once his view of the outside world was removed and, knowing he was risking great bodily harm for his actions, he sandwiched one of the brunet's hands between his own and held it tightly. Tamping down the little thrill of excitement that ran through him when he felt the soft, silky skin against his own, he said, "Ne, Kaiba? Talk to me. You seemed to be doing ok when we were talking a while back."

The brunet slowly turned his head to look at the blond, his complexion once again pale and waxy. "Why do you care anyway?" he asked in a clipped tone, keeping his shoulders pressed against the cool metal of the wall.

The fair-haired teen shrugged and gave a small squeeze to the other's hand, happy to have not had his heart handed to him for his boldness, and beyond pleased that the tall teen hadn't pulled away. "I don't know," he said, hoping his tone sounded more blasé than it sounded to him, and desperately trying to hide the flush that was threatening. Quickly, he changed the subject. "So, what was your trigger?" At seeing the severe gaze he was receiving, he hurriedly added, "For your claustrophobia. People aren't born this way; something's got to trigger it."

Sapphire eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Why do you want to know that?"

Again, Jounouchi shrugged. "Making conversation, and I'm kind of curious, I guess."

Seto scowled. "It's none of your damned business." As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he regretted them. His expression softened when he saw the look of hurt and surprise on the other's face, and he immediately murmured, "Besides, it's a long, dull story."

The blond smirked as he looked into the brunet's eyes. "You've never said anything that I've ever found boring. And hey, it's not like I'm going anywhere at the moment, and I've got nothing but time." He smiled warmly, giving the blue-eyed teen's hand a gentle, encouraging squeeze. Jounouchi saw the slight nod of the other's head, and he subconsciously inched himself closer to Seto. However, the smile slowly faded, and he got a very bad feeling in the pit of his stomach when the deep sapphire grew slightly distant. He tried to shake it off, but the blond was unable to stop the look of abject horror that settled on his face when the brunet began to speak.

"I am my stepfather's greatest…experiment."


	4. Chapter Four

"Experiment?" Jounouchi echoed, immediately cursing his overactive imagination as his mind conjured up countless images of body clones, reanimated zombies and cyborgs. 

The brunet nodded. "Kaiba Corp used to be a major military contract when Gozaburo was in charge. Everyone knows that we made state of the art weaponry, but we also developed virtual reality technology for use as both a rapid training tool and as a means of...interrogation for unfriendly or hostile forces. In either case, the methods used were very efficient, but highly unethical, and so the idea was never officially presented to the government since it would unequivocally have been rejected as cruel. But, backroom negotiations took place with the generals, and they were quite interested in the project – provided Gozaburo could demonstrate the overall effectiveness of what he was proposing." Seto snorted contemptuously. "What better way to prove your faith in your product than by using your adopted son as the guinea pig?"

"Kaib'? What happened?" Jounouchi drew his knees up to him and leaned reassuringly against the other.

"It was psychological manipulation," the brunet replied. "A twisted take on classical and operant conditioning in order to get a programmed response from the...user. On the training side, the individual was artificially driven to succeed through a fear of punishment. Since pain could be simulated directly, failure to achieve an objective meant severe retribution. No physical marks were left on the individual, but the injury was no less real. Eventually, behaviour was shaped such that the person would automatically act. Without conscious thought to interfere, the individual behaves unerringly – quick, precise, deadly. There was more to it than that, really. The emotional aspects, the _humanity_ could be removed from decision making, allowing for the creation of perfect soldiers. Of course, the behaviours do have to be reinforced every so often; one can't risk the possibility of their programmed automatons regaining some semblance of a soul." He smirked callously at the blond. "It's been about four years since my last 'treatment', and it's only been within the last year or so that I've..." The brunet fell silent. "Let's just say the effects are quite long lasting, ne?"

Amber eyes stared wide eyed at the taller teen. It sounded like something out of a science fiction movie, and if he didn't know that Seto was being absolutely serious at that moment, he'd have laughed and taken it as some ridiculous story. "What about..." He swallowed harshly and licked his suddenly dry lips. The blond wasn't sure he wanted to hear it, but he had to know. "And the interrogation side?"

"Worse," the brunet replied. "They could use the VR technology to make you feel anything they wanted to. For me, it was 'The Box'. As cliché as it sounds, it was just an empty box. But, once I was inside it, they could make the walls close in, or fill it with water so it felt like I was drowning, or tell me that there wasn't any air, and that I'd suffocate. The worst was when I couldn't move, and I'd hear Mokuba crying behind me, calling for me." He pressed his lips into a thin line, and then sighed. "Looking back, I believe a lot of it was psychosomatic, and had I tried to breathe underwater in that virtual world, I would have found I was fine and shattered the illusion. But, human nature is to accept a lot of what we see and feel unquestioningly, and that is why it worked so well." Seto paused, his one hand clenching into a fist. "Once he had built that fear into me, he didn't need the VR aspects any more. My lessons were conducted in a very small room, maybe a little bigger than this elevator, with no windows and no ventilation. When I would make a mistake – and that was a given in that situation – it became an excuse to punish me. I had to learn to endure it, and the only time that bastard could make me cry was when he'd leave me in there for the night as a punishment for the trifling transgressions I'd committed that day. If I knew I'd be allowed out, I could bear it."

"Like the elevator," Jounouchi commented quietly. He remembered that Seto had seemed uncomfortable initially, but it was only when they'd become trapped that he had started to panic.

The brunet nodded, and with a wry smirk, he said, "However, I think I'll probably be a bit avoidant for a while."

"That might be worse, Kaib'," the blond said, his heart aching for the other. "You know, the whole 'two steps back' sort of thing?" His brow furrowed, and his lips curved down slightly into a scowl. Jounouchi had always suspected, just from the rumours and whisperings he'd heard, that Kaiba Gozaburo had been a rat bastard. He was glad the son of a bitch was dead, especially considering what he'd done to the brunet. "Look, when you're ready to try again, I'll go with you if you want, just in case."

"Thank you. I'll keep that in mind."

Jounouchi sighed at that. In all honesty, it was as good of an answer as he could ever expect from the other. Kaiba Seto, in all his non-committal glory. "It's scary to think that those things are out there right now," he commented finally.

"Actually, they're not," the brunet replied. "The generals, as was to be expected, were impressed not only with the results, but with the speed in which they were attained. But, when they tried to use them on a large scale, the outcome was disastrous. About fifty soldiers were permanently damaged by the program. Many became suicidal, others suffered severe mental delusions, and some even died. The failure rate was spectacular, and when questions started being asked by the public in the form of government inquiries, the military did what it could to just sweep everything under the rug, and then mothballed the entire project. Nobody wanted to risk using it, at least, not until it could be perfected. Shortly after I took over, before we converted from a weapons manufacturer to a gaming company, the military again approached me, asking if the project could be reopened, or at the very least, if they could purchase the technology. I'm sure you can guess what my answer to that was."

The blond nodded, breathing a silent sigh of relief at hearing that. 

"I suppose, as masochistic as it sounds, in a way, I should thank him for this. After all, he programmed me to be ambitious and driven, ruthless and determined. I am a success because of my way of thinking." A dark smirk crossed the brunet's face. "But, I'd sooner die than thank him for anything, even in a figurative sense." His expression returned to neutral, and a slight flicker of sadness could be seen behind the cold sapphire. "There isn't much I regret in my life, you know, but I do sometimes wish..." He let out a humourless chuckle. "Never mind. Wishes are stupid, really, and nothing more than a waste of energy."

Jounouchi opened his mouth to reply to that, only to close it and laugh sheepishly. "Yeah, Kaib', sometimes they are." He turned his attention to the intercom when he heard the crackle of static, and a moment later, they heard Goto's voice.

"Hey in there. Still awake?" 

Jounouchi crawled over to the panel, and pressed the button. "You'd better have good news!" he snapped, idly amused by the fact that the other hadn't bothered to show himself this time.

Goto gave a forced laugh, and after nervously clearing his throat, he said, "Well, it's worse than we thought, but, we think we can use the hand crank to jack this thing up a bit so that we can at least get you guys out of there. Just wanted to let you know that we'll be moving the elevator a bit, so if you feel it rocking, you'll know why."

"You couldn't have done that like, two hours ago?" the blond exclaimed incredulously.

"Well uh...to be honest, nobody really thought of it until now. Hang tight."

"Dumbass. I'm glad these guys don't work for fire and rescue," Jounouchi murmured as he returned to the other's side when the panel went silent. "Come on, Kaib', on your feet. Let's get you looking presentable for your adoring public, ne?" He grabbed his satchel and rooted around in it for a minute, retrieving a bottle of water. Shrugging partially out of his jacket, he tore one of the sleeves off his t-shirt, and then slipped the gakuran back on. Wordlessly, he wet the piece of cloth and gently wiped off the brunet's face before using his fingers to attempt to smooth down the now-unruly looking tresses. "There. That's not so bad, I guess." Shoving the bottle back into his pack, he got to his feet and dusted off his behind, and then offered his hand to the taller teen.

Seto allowed himself to be fussed over for a few minutes, closing his eyes when he felt the faint jerking on the cables, and trying to focus on the sound of the other's voice. When it stopped, Jounouchi held out his jacket for him, and he slipped his arms into the sleeves, buttoning the garment and then smoothing it down as best he could. A small smile curved his lips upward as he met the warm amber. "Thank you." 

Before Jounouchi could reply, the doors were pried open, and a very large man with a nametag that said 'Tiny' sat there. The two teens looked at each other, and then they took his offered hands, stepping up the two foot ledge to the marble floor of the museum. The blond could see the relief on the brunet's face despite the fact that his legs were trembling slightly. "You did great, Kaib'," he murmured quietly to the other, his expression darkening when he saw the female art teacher, Ohime-sensei, hurrying toward them, a small gathering of their classmates trailing along behind her. "Shit...just play along, ne?" Making a show of clinging desperately to the brunet's jacket, Jounouchi put a hand on his chest, exaggeratedly panting, his head bowed. "Thank Christ that's over. I owe you for this one, Kaib'..."

The instructor stopped a few feet away from him, her expression growing concerned as she looked at the blond. "Jounouchi-kun, is everything alright?"

Turning to the woman and putting on the most pathetic face he could muster, he nodded, "It is now. I'm uh..." He scrubbed a hand through his hair, tousling it even further. "Geez, this is embarrassing, but uh, I kind of have a...you know...a _thing_ about getting locked in an elevator." He looked meaningfully at her. "All I have to say is I'm glad Kaiba was there with me, or I don't know what I'd have done."

Her eyes widened in understanding, and she immediately glommed on to him. "Oh you poor darling," she cooed sympathetically, completely missing the disgusted look the brunet was giving her, "I'm just glad you're alright." She turned her gaze up to Seto, who had once again schooled his features into a neutral mask. "And you too, Kaiba-kun. I can only imagine what it had to have been like for you both!" She gently cupped the blond's cheek reassuringly as she patted his head. "Especially for you. Don't worry about the assignment; I'll talk to Nishimira-sensei, and you two can hand in what you have, and we'll get you the notes you need."

Jounouchi bit down hard on his lip to keep from snickering, and he managed to nod, his eyes still downcast. "Sensei, would you mind if I walked home instead of taking the bus? I'd kind of like the fresh air, after all that."

"Of course, Jounouchi-kun. Whatever you'd like." Again, she patted his head, and then released him, turning to the gathered students and dismissing them with a clap of her hands and an admonishment to, 'Quit staring like a bunch of ignorant monkeys'.

When they were more or less alone, the blond finally did laugh. "No assignment! Score!" He cocked his head to the side when he saw the cool look the other teen was giving him. "What?"

"Why'd you do that?" Seto asked, his eyes narrowed slightly, his expression unreadable.

"Do what?"

"Claim that you were the one in distress. Are you making fun of me?"

Amber eyes widened briefly, and Jounouchi shook his head vehemently. "Actually, it was quite the opposite, Kaib'. First off, I know Ohime's a nutbar. As soon as she saw you looking anything less than perfect, she'd have made that leap and tried to hug you, which I'm pretty sure you _wouldn't_ have liked. Second, I can handle those assholes making fun of me at school. You've got a bigger rep and a lot more to lose. They all think you're solid, unbreakable. They don't really need to know something like that; at least, not unless you're ready to tell them, you know?"

Seto gave an amused snort at that. "You do realize that would have been the perfect payback for all the times I've mistreated you, don't you? Were the situation reversed, I know I'd definitely have contemplated it."

The blond looked at him for a moment, and then he laughed. "Yeah, but you're a prick, so that's to be expected." Grinning, he added, "Besides, someone's got to look out for you." As soon as he said the words, he pinked and dropped his gaze.

A single brow arched. "And you think that someone should be you, do you?"

His cheeks heated further at the chill in the other's tone. "Well, I...uh..." He slumped back against the marble pillar behind him, feeling his eyes burning slightly in both frustration and embarrassment as he tried to sort through the jumbled thoughts in his mind. ' _God, Kaib',_ ' he mused silently to himself, his lower lip quivering slightly, ' _I'd do anything for you. I just...I just wish I knew you felt the same way about me..._ ' A comfortable warmth washed over him, and he felt momentarily light-headed, almost giddy. The sensation dissipated as quickly as it had come when he heard the sound of flesh on stone, and he opened his eyes to see Seto leaning in to him, his hands pressed on either side of his head, effectively trapping him. He inhaled sharply, and he stammered, "K-Kaiba?"

The corners of the brunet's mouth were curved upwards in a barely-there smirk, his sapphire eyes dark and swirling with emotion. "Hn...I think that would be alright. Why do you think I told you those things I did, ne?" Before the blond could reply, Seto crushed his mouth to the other's, his eyes falling closed as he leaned in further, his body pressed up against the shorter teen's without actually touching him.

Jounouchi's eyes went wide in surprise, and he gasped as he felt those warm, supple lips against his own. As his lids slipped shut, he had to bite back a groan when he realized that yes, they were just as soft and pliant as he had imagined, and oh-so talented. The next thing he knew, the blue-eyed teen had capitalized on his distraction and had thrust his tongue into his mouth. This time, he let out a wanton whimper as he felt the strong muscle exploring every surface and plane, and he mewled softly as he willed his own into action, lightly twining it with the brunet's. He felt weak and dizzy as waves of pleasure coursed through him, and he knew that this moment was that one, perfect moment he had lived his whole life to achieve. As the fog began to lift from his brain, he realized that Seto's aftershave was penetrating his senses, and he could feel the heat radiating off the other's body. But, beyond that, he knew without a doubt how the stoic brunet felt about him. What the dark-haired teen didn't, or couldn't, put into words, he was showing through his kiss. A noise somewhere between a laugh and a sob escaped the blond at that realization, and hesitantly, he moved his arms as if to hug the other, only to have Seto withdraw as soon as he had touched him. Dazedly, Jounouchi opened his eyes, his brow furrowed in confusion. "What –"

He was silenced by a quick, harsh kiss, and then the brunet purred in his ear, "Stop. Don't ruin this by saying something stupid. Just meet me tonight at eight o'clock on the patio at Dante's." Straightening, he pulled away, giving the blond a quasi-wave as he headed down the museum's central staircase.

For several moments, Jounouchi could do very little save for to simply lean against the pillar and attempt to catch his breath. He was puzzled by what had transpired and, the more he thought about it, the more he realized that there was only one place where he could get an answer. He only hoped that he wasn't too late to get it.

* * *

Panting and sweating profusely, Jounouchi shrugged out of his uniform jacket and stuffed it in his satchel, not caring about the ratty appearance of his t-shirt. He'd been running full bore for a good ten blocks, but he was very nearly at his destination. Throwing the strap over his shoulder once more, he darted across the park, sidestepping the various service technicians that were tearing down the wooden booths from the Tanabata festival, and making his way to where the psychics had been set up on the weekend. As he approached the area where Madame Zhang had been, he felt his heart sink when he saw a large, bald, tanned man covered with tattoos of runes and glyphs, packing the last of the tenting into a large trunk. "Aw, fuck!" he groused as he leaned heavily against a tree, trying to get his breath back. "The old hag's gone!"

The tattooed male straightened at hearing Jounouchi's voice, and he turned to face him, peering at him with soulless, black eyes. "The young pup, Jounouchi Katsuya," he said, his voice flat and emotionless.

"How the hell did you know my name?" the blond exclaimed, his eyes wide. 

"Madame Zhang said you would be by." He reached into the pocket of the chocolate brown vest he wore and withdrew a card, handing it to the teen, and then, then he wordlessly turned away and resumed his work.

After shaking off his initial discomfort over what had just transpired, the teen glanced down at what he'd been handed. At first, Jounouchi thought the other had simply given him a blank piece of paper, and he was prepared to just throw it away when it seemed to shimmer in the sunlight. Taking a closer look, he saw that the name of a motel down by the airport and a room number was printed on it. Groaning, he fished around in his pocket and found that he had enough money for bus fare out there. Quickly, he made his way to the bus stop, and as he settled into a seat, he silently cursed the woman for sending him on a wild goose chase all over town, and then berated himself for being stupid enough to comply. By the time he reached his destination, he was beginning to rethink the intelligence of his decision, but his need to know was overwhelming, and he forced himself to make his way through the unassuming motel grounds to the proper room. He raised his hand to knock, only to shudder slightly when the door seemed to swing open seemingly of its own accord. "Freaky..."

Again, he heard the raucous laughter that belonged to Madame Zhang, and her voice called out to him, "When I said to come see me again, I hadn't expected it would be so soon, Young One. Come inside; I have been waiting for you."

When the blond entered the room, he quietly closed the door behind him, letting out a small gasp when he looked around at the décor. The drapes were drawn, and candles were placed on every conceivable surface around the room, the light casting flickering shadows on the walls and ceiling. The dresser was covered with crystals and talismans, a glass globe that seemed to be filled with a swirling greyish-purple mist sitting beside it, a Mah-jong tile set, and several decks of divination cards including the tarot, runes, and the Book of Doors. The bed had been covered with dozens of silk and satin throw pillows of various colours, and a deep purple silk sheet had been draped over the mattress beneath them. Lounging in the centre, clad in a long, black silk kimono embroidered with red phoenixes, was Madame Zhang, wearing a Cheshire cat grin as she held the tip of a hookah pipe between her teeth. Pressing her crimson lips together, she took a long drag, her eerie, pale eyes regarding him thoughtfully as the tube bubbled quietly. "Uh...if you've got stuff to do, I'll..."

"Nonsense," she drawled, exhaling the smoke through her nose and looking like some demented dragon. "You have something you wanted to ask." It was a statement of fact more than it was a question. "Do speak your mind, young pup."

Now that he was there, Jounouchi suddenly felt kind of ridiculous. "You...told me that I'd have a wish granted."

"Correct," she answered, her smile widening as she held the pipe between her fingers. 

"Yeah, well...Why did I have two granted?"

"You didn't, Child. Just one." Her gaze shifted to the smoke-filled globe and she took another draw from the hookah. "And within the past couple of hours, at that."

Jounouchi looked over at the glass orb, and he frowned. "No, because the day I came to see you...Why the hell would Kaiba have told me all that stuff? He only started after I wished for it!"

"Hn..." She laughed darkly as she exhaled once more. "Perhaps the blue-eyed one answered simply because you asked."

"No, that's impossible," the blond replied, shaking his head vehemently and tamping down the shudder he felt threaten when he realized she had just described the brunet's eyes. "He would _never_ just _answer_ a question."

"Perhaps not to just anyone, but to his Beloved, he would..."

Jounouchi's eyes widened at the endearment. Trying to ignore the fact that Seto had said something similar to him earlier, and that the psychic was currently batting a thousand, he exclaimed, "That's bullshit! Are you telling me that it was just a coincidence that it worked out that way?" 

"Do you not recall the reading I gave you? I told you that you would be given what you had an appetite for, ne? I would say that knowing how your Dark Prince truly felt was what you wanted most of all, wouldn't you?" She chuckled softly. "Besides, who's to say that coincidence isn't but one way the Fates choose to satisfy wishes, hmm? The mystical tends to be mysterious, Darling, hiding behind the mundane so as to not call attention to itself, yes? It's why so many people don't believe the things I tell them." She winked at him, and added, "But we both know I'm correct, don't we?"

For a long time, the blond just stood there, trying to digest what she had said, and not really having anything to add in return. "I...guess," he replied finally.

"Yes," she drawled, her wide mouth set in a sinister smile. "I still find you extremely fascinating, Child. Your spirit is one I'm definitely going to follow, and when I return next year, you had better make sure you come to see me. If you don't, you know that I'll certainly come find you." She held up a hand and gave the blond a small wave when he left, and after he had gone, she took another long drag off the pipe. As she exhaled, she glanced over at the glass globe, and a dark laugh filled the room. "Oh, you are going to have an extraordinary life, young Katsuya," she purred. "With your Dark Prince by your side, it can't be anything but."


End file.
